Bresaola with celeriac, watercress and espresso mayonnaise

Karen Martini

Be alert, not alarmed: The espresso mayonnaise is an excellent match for the cured beef. Photo: Marcel Aucar

Dietary

Nut-free

This may sound a little unusual but the coffee mayonnaise is an excellent match for the cured beef, with the deep, earthy flavours knitting together beautifully. Add the fresh watercress, celeriac and lemon and it adds up to a surprisingly complex set of flavours.

Ingredients

1 small celeriac, finely julienned

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt flakes

Pinch of sugar

1 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling water

1 clove garlic, finely grated

1 tbsp plain yoghurt

1 tsp chilli sauce (such as sriracha)

2 large egg yolks

1 tbsp sherry vinegar

220ml grapeseed oil, or another neutral oil

20 slices bresaola

2 spring onions, finely sliced

1 handful watercress

1 lemon

Method

1. Dress the celeriac in a little oil and salt and a pinch of sugar, toss through and set aside.

2. In a food processor, add the coffee, garlic, yoghurt, chilli sauce, egg yolks, vinegar and a pinch of salt and blitz. Slowly add the grapeseed oil while processing to form an emulsion - you may need a little more or less oil depending on your eggs.

3. Lay the bresaola on a serving plate, dollop on some of the espresso mayo and top with the celeriac, spring onions and watercress. Drizzle over a little extra virgin olive oil, squeeze over some lemon and serve.

Note: This will make more mayo than you will need but it will store for five or so days covered in the fridge if you want to revisit the dish. You could also halve the quantities but might need to whisk by hand if the amount is too little to process properly.